So far, Harlow's #watermelondress was on both Inside Edition and Kelly and Ryan Live. Mazzy was like, "Wait! What about MY watermelon dress???" She's right. The pink fringe cap sleeve is an excellent addition. Still think #babymeloning is the better hashtag!

Everybody is smiling and looking at camera! I just posted my latest travel vlog which follows our three day road trip in Central New York! It rained a lot but we still had tons of fun. Don't miss Harlow dancing like a robot and Mazzy talking "duck." I think this is my favorite travel video so far. YouTube link in bio!

She's getting her hair cut today. I was going to leave work and meet her and our sitter there but I'm too swamped. It's the first time she's getting a cut without me. Fingers crossed they don't chop it all off or give her faux hawk!

If you don't already know, "a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios with milk" has replaced Harlow's waffle obsession. She asks for it every single morning, in those words exactly. If I were to say, "Harlow, do you want a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios?" She would say, "Yes, WITH MILK." Also, ever since Harlow and I made that video about how to make cereal (link in bio- FYI, the longer YouTube version is even better than the one I put on Insta), Harlow has been really into making her own breakfast in the morning. Her and Mazzy have even taken our cereal orders at night and then pre-set the table with our names written on the napkins. Then they instruct us to stay in bed until everything is ready. It's actually some of the few times we've been able to sit down to breakfast all together as a family at the dining room table. Thanks @cheerios for helping make the mornings easier this summer! #generalmillscereal #sponsored

Family Itinerary: Four Days in San Diego

Over President’s Day weekend, we had a four day action-packed trip to San Diego. We were invited by the tourism board, who split up all the family-friendly activities between a few different bloggers. As a result, our priorities were probably different than most families who visit San Diego.

For instance, we did not go the Zoo or Coronado Island or Balboa Park or the new Children’s Museum, or many of the other recommendations that people gave me on Snapchat and Instagram. We did get to discover some lesser known activities which were all awesome, so I can’t say we would do anything differently if we had to do it over.

Except maybe go for a longer vacation to squeeze more in. Or maybe we’ll just have to go back to go to the Zoo. Or to eat at Richard Walker’s Pancake House. Or sample some Cookie Monster ice cream. Those all sound awesome.

Also— a word about the picture up top that I posted on Facebook earlier today. I congratulated Mike on taking a great picture and someone said, “With Harlow’s sweatshirt saying BUTT and Mazzy’s doll crotch? Sure.” Alright. Valid points. But I got both girls to smile! I can’t be expected to get Harlow’s sweatshirt and Mazzy’s doll to cooperate too!

DAY ONE: Sunset and Sea Lions

We stayed in La Jolla right on the beach at the La Jolla Shores hotel. First thing we did after we got settled in our room was order fish tacos at the hotel restaurant. They were divine. Then we took the car the ten minute drive to La Jolla Coves to catch the sunset and see the sea lions.

I believe earlier in the day there is a beach with little caves to wander through, but we got there at high tide so that wasn’t possible. San Diego had also just had a pretty big storm the night before so the waves were huge. The weather did make for a beautiful sunset though.

Everyone watches the sunset from behind a railing on the street but you can climb down to see the sea lions at your own risk. We went down to take a few shots and then realized it probably wasn’t a great idea with the kids for safety reasons.

I think risking my life was totally worth it for this shot of two sea lions totally posing for me. I mean, does that guy look like a smiling sea lion emoji, or what?!

We finished up the evening with a little tree climbing. San Diego has excellent climbing trees.

DAY TWO: Flight Decks, Fountains and the Crack Shack

After breakfast at the hotel, our first stop of the day was the USS Midway Museum, which is one of America’s longest-serving aircraft carriers.

After boarding the ship, we walked the flight deck, toured the living quarters and were able to board a bunch of the fighter planes.

Mazzy, in particular, got really into following the self-guided audio tour and kept spouting random facts about the ship and the planes. She didn’t want to leave without listening to the entire thing.

She also loved the flight simulator so much that after she rode it with Mike, she wanted to do it again with me.

I was on it for about five seconds before I pressed the emergency stop button. I guess I would not make a very good pilot!

Next we stopped at the Crack Shack for lunch, which is owned by my favorite Top Chef contestant of all time— Richard Blais.

You order from a window and then find your own seat in the mostly outdoor setting; complete with communal tables and a raised fire pit. It has a very cool in-the-know San Diego vibe.

The Crack Shack’s specialty is fried chicken and it did not disappoint. Best fried chicken I’ve ever had.

Harlow approved too. And that is no easy feat.

The schmaltz fries (that’s fries fried in chicken fat) were a big winner as well.

Once we were sufficiently stuffed, we headed over to Waterfront Park. It was sixty degrees which I guess is a cold day in San Diego but that was not about to stop a couple of New Yorkers from playing in the massive fountain.

“It’s warm, Mommy!” Mazzy and Harlow yelled as they took off their shoes and pulled up their leggings to their knees. A woman passed by in a winter jacket and eyed me suspiciously. “We’re from New York,” I explained.

Then Mazzy and Harlow eyed the nearby playground and ran there faster than I could keep up with them. They had seen it from the car earlier and were so excited to climb and spin and slide on different structures than the ones they are used to at home.

Harlow surprised me by holding her own with the big kids on a spinning apparatus that took her flying in circles with her feet in the air. Even the other parents were impressed. She held on and spun again and again and again until I finally said it was time to move on.

Honestly, it doesn’t matter where we take them. Mazzy and Harlow will always judge a city by its playgrounds. This one got four thumbs up.

Next up, we went to Old Town, which was the first Spanish settlement on the west coast of the United States and now a historical landmark.

It is now a pedestrian village with outdoor Mexican restaurants, live music, lots of shops and open markets as well as a blacksmith, a leather shop, etc.

Mazzy got her caricature drawn.

And Harlow yawned all through hers.

And then she tried on some hats.

Old Town also had some pretty great climbing trees.

Our last stop was Puesto for dinner, an upscale taco restaurant that had been recommended highly by pretty much everyone. Harlow passed out in the car on the way there (this was a theme for our entire trip) so Mazzy and I ate at the restaurant and got Mike to-go tacos to eat in the car.

They were delicious and I only wish it was earlier in the day so that we could have all enjoyed them together!

DAY THREE: Legoland and Liberty

When we originally told the kids we were going to San Diego, the thing they were most excited about was Legoland. Mazzy and Harlow are both HUGE Lego & Friends fans and they couldn’t wait to see a whole park themed after one of their favorite toys.

“Can we stay at the Lego Hotel???” Mazzy asked. “Not this time, Mazzy.” Once at Legoland, we got a little nervous when we realized we had no official plan in place. But then we just followed the tips we had recently learned from our Disney World trip— we got a double stroller, downloaded the app and got their version of a FastPass for $25/person. You make reservations for the rides you want, it buzzes when it’s your time slot and then you get on a separate shorter line.

Mazzy was especially excited when she realized she was just tall enough to go on a few of the rides by herself. 48″ on the nose.

And Harlow loved Duplo Town.

The water park was closed this time of year (I was actually happy about that) but the kids got more than their fill of freedom from the Hideways play structure in Pirate Cove. It’s a huge treehouse looking thing with rope ladders, slides, suspension bridges, etc.

It can drive an overprotective parent insane trying to keep track of your kids but as I quickly learned, there is only one way out, so instead of trying and failing to follow your kids around, your best bet is to just plant yourself at the exit.

Wouldn’t this be an awesome way to give your kids ice cream cones with less risk of them dripping it on their clothes?

After we had our fill of Legoland, we visited a friend in Carlsbad who had just moved into his house. The backyard hadn’t been mowed yet and there was a single orange tree in the back corner. He apologized for the overgrown landscaping but I thought it looked pretty fantastic.

Mazzy and Harlow picked oranges and then asked if they could eat them. “It tastes like a real orange!!!” Harlow exclaimed. “Yes, Harlow. It is a real orange!” Probably more real than the oranges we eat at home.

For dinner, we drove to Liberty Public Market, a big specialty food and craft market in the old Navy Building. Again, Harlow fell asleep on the way so Mazzy and I were on our own to explore the numerous food stalls inside and pick out dinner.

After delivering some sushi to Mike in the car, I opted for a brussel sprout squash pizza which was FANTASTIC and Mazzy got excited about a display case full of plain pasta. “You are supposed to pick a sauce to put on it and then they will cook it on the spot,” I informed her. “I just want it plain!” She insisted. As you wish…

I really need to go back there with more adventurous eaters.

I did get Mazzy to be a bit more out-of-the-box when it came to dessert. We went to Mootime and got an ice cream sandwich with fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and rainbow sprinkles.

After staring it down and determining it was my dessert and not hers, she opted for a huge slice of birthday cake at the adjoining bakery. Made for an excellent over-the-top ending to our day.

DAY FOUR: Surfing and Saying Farewell

Our last morning in San Diego, we woke up to the most AMAZING sunrise. This was the view from our hotel balcony.

Once we stopped gawking, we ate ate breakfast and then walked over to Surf Divas surf shop so that Mike and Mazzy could take a surfing lesson together.

After wriggling her way into a wetsuit for the first time, Mazzy was excited to learn that all Surf Diva’s instructors are girls.

On the walk over, I had prepped Mazzy that she would probably fall a lot and that she shouldn’t get frustrated. Honestly, I didn’t even think she would be able to stand once she was in the water… but the joke was on me, because Mazzy turned out to be a total natural!

She got up on her very first try. (I got it on video so you’ll see when I put the San Diego travel vlog together.) Mazzy rode that wave pretty much back to shore before she fell. And then was able to get up again every time after that. The waves in La Jolla are a little gentler than other areas on the coast which makes it perfect for teaching kids.

I was watching and filming on the beach while Harlow played in the sand.

This is Harlow checking out her monster shadow.

At one point, an older woman with a surf board passed by and pointed to Mazzy, who was riding a wave as far back to shore as she could. “Is that your daughter? She’s gonna get bitten by the surf bug. That’s exactly how I started.”

You know who couldn’t get up once? Mike. Poor guy.

After the lesson was over, we went back to the hotel to take a quick dip in the pool, shower, pack up and head home. It was a fun-filled few days with back-to-back activities, so six hours on a plane watching movies did not sound like a bad thing.

I’m serious when I say I want to go back though. I came away from San Diego with a feeling very similar to when I came back from San Francisco— that’s a place I could live.

7 responses to “Family Itinerary: Four Days in San Diego”

This all looks amazing! I’m guessing that Harlow’s sleepiness was a combination of being so busy with all the fun, and the time change. My son always has a hard time when we travel coast-to-coast, 3 hours is a lot to shift.

I thought your photo from facebook was lovely, and I was clueless about the sweatshirt and doll issues until they were pointed out. I think it’s a great photo, I saw three beautiful smiling ladies enjoying the beach together in their sunglasses.

If/ when you come back to San Diego I’d be happy to teach you and the family how to stand up paddle i have plenty of boards and all the gear just bring your sense of adventure. I even have a couple paddles short enough that the little ones can help. My twin girls are six months younger than Harlow and we all love a day at the beach.

So happy you got to visit beautiful San Diego! I’m from North County San Diego and work across the street from Legoland! You should also come to Oceanside and have a milk shake at the Ruby’s at the end of the pier. That was one of my favorite things to do when I was young. Also, as a socal native I can attest to the fact that a 60 degree day is in fact a very cold day.

There’s a new sculpture in Astor Place that broke my heart. It is called The Last Three. It’s 17 feet tall and represents the last three northern white rhinos on earth. Their names are Sudan, Nijan, and Fatu. Sudan is the last male. He is 45, which is the life expectancy for a rhino. His daughter is Nijan and his granddaughter is Fatu. Rhino horns are worth a ton of money so they are in constant threat of poachers. This public piece of art was created by artists Gillie and Marc with the hope of educating and inspiring others to care about the plight of the rhinos. It worked on me. Their aim is to collect 1 million goodbye messages on www.goodbyerhinos.org and put them towards a petition for approaching governments about eliminating the demand for rhino horns. Please like, comment and tag your friends to get this seen by as many people as possible and feel free to regram and share! 😥 #goodbyerhinos

New York is still freezing so instead of doing our usual ski trip in March, we decided to switch things up and go somewhere much warmer. Not sure when I’ll post on my feed, but you can follow along on my Instagram stories...🌴☀️🥝👙🦎⛱⛵️✈️🍹🤸‍♂️😎 #comingsoon

Sometimes I look at my Instagram account and think— man, this feed really needs some adults. Who is running this thing??? And because I know everyone is going to ask where @littlemissparty got her dress, I already asked. It’s vintage. She bought it when she was 19. Sucks for the rest of us! I got my shirt at Aritzia. Thanks for asking 🤣 Have you guys watched our Instagram lives together? I like doing it so much better with a friend! We are on a two week break because our schedules are all crazy but will do it again after that. What would you guys want us to talk about? Any questions for two NYC working moms???

Harlow has a very important message for everyone. Brought to you by Super Why, I think. Also, this impromptu performance was 100% because Harlow noticed me upping my intake of fruits and vegetables this week. 🍎🍌🥕💪🏻 #harlowunplugged #eathealthy

For those of you asking about my Detox, I’m on Day Four. It ends tomorrow. Thank god because I can’t even look at beets anymore. Biggest lesson is the same thing I learned and forgot last year when I did this. GREEN JUICE MAKES ME FEEL EVEN MORE ALIVE THAN COFFEE. Yes, I said that in all caps like a crazy person. Doing a detox does make you feel somewhat like a crazy person. I know detoxes aren’t for everyone but if you are interested, follow my friend @zengirlfitness for more details. She’s been leading a bunch of us through this all week 🥦💚🍵🍏🍋🍉🍐